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Politics

Jun 30, 2026 Shashi Tharoor

Over the last 12 years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has overseen dizzying progress in economic modernization and state capacity-building, as well as dismaying setbacks on institutional independence and minority inclusion. This record offers important insights into how India will navigate the 21st century.

NEW DELHI—On June 10, Narendra Modi became the country’s longest continuously-serving elected prime minister, overtaking India’s independence-era hero, Jawaharlal Nehru, who served 4,398 days in office following the first general elections. While Nehru led India for five years before those first elections, and Indira Gandhi served longer overall, but not continuously, Modi undoubtedly ranks alongside them as one of India’s three most influential post-independence leaders. Modi’s legacy, like theirs, will define India’s path.